The Murder At Mermaid Cafe
by Subaru-S
Summary: Yashao and Kagome were dating at Mermaid Cafe when suddenly murders happened around them. Rated for murders and Inuysha's bad mouth. CHAPTER 3 UPDATED.
1. Prologue

Konnichiwa, Minna! This is my first Inuyasha fic, well actually the first fanfic I have ever written and I hope you can enjoy this! Since I like mystery, I try to make a fic in a totally different background from the original story. Here you will not see Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru but Inukai Yashao and Inukai Sesshou! I even gave surnames for everybody! anyway, go on with the story, plz R&R, Minna!!  
  
~Subaru_S~  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and other characters are not mine! I wish they did though...*sigh* SO please don't sue me...  
  
  
  
  
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The Murder At Mermaid Café  
by Subaru_S  
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Scene #0: Prologue  
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Two night sisters were chatting about the patient in room 414 who got cancer as they checked all the rooms in the corridor. It was still around 10 p.m. so they haven't locked all the doors except, of course, the corpse room. The night was very quiet and peaceful, never even a slight bit of suspicious thought passed through their mind. And that thought would have been wrong if only they saw a mysterious silhouette of a person walked past a few meters behind them and silently approached the chemistry lab, to steal a bottle labeled "H2SO4" from the restricted shelf.  
  
  
  
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Ya, I know, that is VERY short, but hey, that's only the prologue! I promise the chapter 1 would be much longer! Anyway, here I explained about the four main characters, thought you already know who they are, so go on reading!  
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Kagome Higurashi is a 16-year-old girl who just entered her first year in Shikon High School for girl last April together with Sango, her best friend since childhood. She has a grandpa "the story-teller", a loving and warmth mama, and a little spoil brother, Souta. When she and Sango entered Shikon Junior High, they met Yashao and Miroku, the school's most well-known trouble-maker pair as well as the school best jokers, who were in their second year. Their first encounter was not very...impressive as they started to hate each other's guts-Kagome hated the violent Inuyasha and Sango often slapped the pervert Miroku-but strangely they eventually became pairs.   
  
  
Yashao Inukai, the 17-year-old orphant boy in his second year in Shikon High school for boy, is now living with his 20-year-old brother, Sesshou who worked as a police Inspector. Their parents died two years ago in a car accident, and that was why Sesshou wanted to become a cop. Yashao often helped his brother solved some murder cases and someday he wanted to become a cop, or rather a detective. Miroku is his best friend whom he often confides his problems to. Yashao often speaks straight forward without really think about the listener's feeling and in a BAD (or violence?) language, too.   
  
  
Sango Kaidoh, a 16-year-old girl with long raven hair which often held tight in a ponytail, has been friends with Kagome since elementary and they went to the same school until now. She has a brother named Kohaku, who is the same age as Souta, who became her only family since her father died a few months ago leaving them enough money to live until now. Her mother passed away after giving birth to Kohaku so he never really saw her face beside from photos. Right now, she has been working part-time job in Mermaid Café with Miroku. She likes to write fiction, mostly romance and mystery, and send them to Sweet Sixteen teen magazine or to newspaper agencies.  
  
Miroku Arisugawa, a 17-year-old boy with raven hair held in small ponytail and deep violet eyes, though being both pervert and trouble maker, is a smart ass who never got lower rank than 5. He's been living with his uncle monk ever since the plane crash accident 10 years ago that caused him to lose both his parents. Though he's raised in a temple, it doesn't make him willing to be a monk. Instead he's deeply interested in science and planned to be a scientist. Miroku met Inuyasha in their 5th grade in elementary and became the best buddy since then. He got a big crush on Sango and somehow cannot control his lecherous blood.   
  
  
  
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So what do you think? Feel interested? Please give me feedbacks, good or bad, and wait for the next chapters!  
I know this fic may sound like Mentantei Conan or Kindaichi but hey, they're the inspirations! 


	2. Incendiary

Konnichiwa, Minna! This is my first Inuyasha fic, well actually the first fanfic I have ever written and I hope you can enjoy this! Since I like mystery, I try to make a fic in a totally different background from the original story. Here you will not see Inuyasha or Sesshoumaru but Inukai Yashao and Inukai Sesshou! I even gave surnames for everybody! anyway, go on with the story, plz R&R, Minna!!  
  
~Subaru_S~  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and other characters are not mine! I wish they did though...*sob* SO please don't sue me...  
  
  
  
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The Murder At Mermaid Café  
by Subaru_S  
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Scene #1: Incendiary  
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Kagome's day wouldn't have been more brightened than any other day. Today she had a date with her soon-to-be-one-year boyfriend named Yashao at Mermaid café next to Mermaid Lake where the seafood was absolutely delicious and they could enjoy the beautiful scene of evergreen and crystal blue water. So Kagome, dressed in her favorite red tank top and short tight black skirt along with a blue-jeans jacket and a pair of black boots, waited patiently in the end of the stairs leading to her home which was a shrine. After a minute or two, a motorcycle sound could be heard approaching. Soon, a long-black-haired boy could be seen waving at Kagome before abruptly stopped right in front of her.  
  
"Hi, Kagome! Ya didn't wait too long, I hope?" Yashao, who got a long black hair held tight in a low ponytail and two deep amber eyes, was wearing a long-sleeved light grey T-shirt with yellow striped on the collar, which were rolled up, doubled with checkered red shirt, with a pair of loose blue jeans and sneakers.   
  
Kagome smiled slightly as she hopped in to the back seat and received a helmet. Yashao wore his and began to kick the gas and dash off to the café. By motorcycle, that place could be reached within 15 minutes. They parked the motorcycle in the parking lot and strode hand in hand to the entrance of the café. As usual, there were many people waiting in line but luckily they have reserved two seats with nice view in the morning.   
  
They took their seats and began to scan the menu and order their choice of food and drink. In two minutes the waiter came back with ice lemon tea and fruit punch. While waiting for the food, they chit chatted happily about school and their best friends, Miroku and Sango, who just recently got together, as they enjoyed the beautiful view of the lake.  
  
"Now that I think about it, where's that happy couple? Thought they work here?" Yashao commented as he looked around searching for any sign of either Miroku or Sango. Kagome did the same thing but with no avail.  
  
"Demo, Sango said she'd be here when I called her yesterday..." She left the sentence trailed off when she caught a glimpse of black ponytail girl. She tried to get a better view of the girl she thought was Sango and was happy when she turned around...to reveal that she's not her. Kagome was terribly disappointed but when she took a look at that girl, she let out a silent scream and hissed to Yashao.  
  
"Yasha-kun, isn't that Kiyomura Kikyou, that famous actress, I mean your favorite actress?" Yashao abruptly turned around and scanned the restaurant, and yes, he found her sitting next to a man he assumed to be an actor too and commented to Kagome.  
  
"Yappari! You looked just like her! Did I tell ya that?" Hearing that, Kagome pouted and turned around to face the lake instead.  
  
"A million times! I just hope you don't like me just because I look like her..." before she could say any words, Yashao placed his hands on top of Kagome's and said with a deep masculine voice that can always melt Kagome's heart.  
  
"And for a million times too I say that I like her after I like you." Kagome could feel her face heated up so she kept looking away to try to hide her blush. Yashao, however, took that as "I don't believe you, Yasha-kun" so he spoke again.  
  
"Kagome, look 'ere. Look at me in the eyes." So she slowly turned around...to face the...tomato-colored Yashao, who was looking straight at her and didn't seem to be aware of his color face.   
  
'So he's embarrassed, too' thought Kagome as she smiled sweetly and said, "I believe you, Yasha-kun." She could feel the grip tightened and their distance got shortened and shortened till she could hear his breathes. Kagome waited and waited for that moment but...  
  
"*ehm* Did I interrupt your special moment, Sir? Would you like to have your order or I just return it to the chef?" A VERY familiar voice cut off their supposed-to-be romantic moment. Kagome looked up and found Miroku, with a try of food on his right hand, grinning like a maniac and the giggling Sango beside her. Today Sango didn't tie her hair in a ponytail and instead let it dropped around her shoulders. 'So, that's why I couldn't spot her' Kagome thought.   
  
"Miroku, you damn bastard! Stop grinning like Chesire cat!" Yashao shot Miroku a dagger-stare and if only a look could kill, he would surely be dead by now. But instead he just ignored the stare and put the tray on which three plates of seafood lay on. Sango, who has stopped giggling, went to Kagome's side.  
  
"That was almost like one of my romance fiction scenes! Well, minus the interruption of course." Kagome meant to glare but somehow Sango could always see through her that she gave a pleading smile that more or less said "Sooorrrryyyy, Kagome-chan! I know you wanted that kiss."  
  
While the two girls were busy with themselves, the boys also got deep into their own conversation. Miroku, who has found himself a seat now (how he managed to sit without being glared, yelled or dragged by the manager, I don't really know...-_-') had no difficulties for turning back Yashao's mood. He began to talk about the robbery at Asuka's Gold two days ago that was in headlines everywhere.  
  
"So, have yer bro catch the criminal?" Miroku started and just as his prediction, Yashao loosened his glare and now focused on the subject.  
  
"Which one? The asshole that broke down Asuka's Gold?"  
  
"Yup, what about 'im? Still on the run?"  
  
"Ya know Sesshou, won't ever let any assholes take a fucking breathe of relief for more than 10 minutes. And yes, he is probably in the cell by now thinking 'bout what's gonna come next."  
  
"I see that, so without yer help?"  
  
"Aa, robbery's not my thing. Besides, one minute that I heard about that case, the next minute it's already solved. And you can guess who told that case to me."  
  
"I guess so, yer dear brother? Hmmm, I can actually imagine your sulking face when ya were listening to the story..." Miroku stopped to imagine, then continued, "So what's your thing then? Murder?"  
  
"Definitely. Though sometimes I really wonder why a bunch of twits managed to chop off their friend's head when they can't even defend themselves in the court."  
  
"Well...that's people."  
  
"Huh? Whaddya mean by that, Miroku?"  
  
"Ya might think this is impossible, but people, who are considered quiet, weak and we think they cannot hurt even a fly, are actually the easiest to have nervous breakdown and become paranoid. Those people who we considered as foolish can think of the hardest trick that even won't come to Einstein's mind. That is, when they reached the top level of their paranoia."  
  
When Miroku finished his sentence, he was faced by an absolutely-had-no-idea-what-the-fuck-is-he-talking-about Yashao. Miroku sighed and thought that Yashao was really a simple-minded guy and wondered why he could even solve several murder cases.  
  
"In other words, Yasha, those people who we think are totally impossible to commit a crime can actually do it."  
  
"Oohh." Was the only response Yashao could manage to say, while his mind was still working on the word 'paranoia'. Miroku sighed again and slowly stood up. He turned to see Sango still chatting excitedly about some movie stars or singers with Kagome. He chose to wait for a minute and turned his attention to the view outside. His eyes quickly scanned the lake when something in the midst caught his eye. He tried to take a better look at it but since he didn't wear his glasses today he could only see a blur picture of something like monument, so he asked Yashao.  
  
"Hey, Yasha. What's that thing in the middle?" Miroku asked as he pointed his finger at the lake.  
  
"Umm...I think that's some kind of monument in funny shape, a girl or mermaid I s'ppose, but I reckon the man who made it must be a freak."  
  
"Why? Mermaid is a suitable subject for this matter, right? I mean, here we are in Mermaid Café."  
  
"That's not what I meant, c'mere and see from my point of view." Yashao assured Miroku to stand behind him.  
  
"Well, y'know, I'm not wearing my glasses so..."  
  
"See that mermaid now. Funny, isn't it? With no hands, seems to me like they're chopped off on purpose." Miroku, who was about to complain for cutting his sentence, instead chose to concentrate his thought more to what Yashao just said.  
  
"What did ya say? Chopped off on purpose?"  
  
"Yeah, if my eyes don't deceive me, that is. The cuts are very neat, so I assume it can't be a mere accident but, well, who knows? Artists these days are a bunch of weirdos." Those words that came out of Yashao's mouth made Miroku think seriously. And still with that stern face, he asked Yashao.  
  
"Ano, Yasha..." He was careful to choose his words.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"That mermaid...she still got...her breasts, right?"  
  
WHACK!  
  
Before Yashao himself could respond to the lecherous question from Miroku, Sango's hand was faster. The boys weren't aware that the girls had finished their conversation and were currently listening quietly, of course, until Miroku said that question.  
  
"Sukebe! I should have known you cannot change that easily!!" With that, Sango left all of them with a quick 'see ya later' to Kagome and Yashao. Miroku, who were still rubbing his head, quickly followed her after giving a desperate look to his friends. Meanwhile, Yashao and Kagome who were watching those two left could only muttered a simple comment, "He never changes." They shook their head and began to concentrate on their food.  
  
  
***  
  
Someone was returning from the lake using a boat that could be rented from a stand near the café. Because it was at lunch time, nobody paid attention or even aware that that person was there. Before heading back to the café, that person took a last glance to the mermaid monument in the center of the lake and smirked evilly.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Miroku was persuading Sango to forgive him at the café's kitchen where both of them were supposed to wash the dishes. Ever since they came inside, Sango never even once turned around to look at Miroku though she was obviously aware that he was there right beside her.  
  
"C'mon, Sango. You know I was always like that and ever since we're going out the frequency decreases. That one was an accident, people sometimes can't help but to fall on temptation, right?" Miroku sounded pleaded but somehow Sango found the dishes in front of her more interesting as she continued to wash silently as if she didn't hear a word.  
  
"Aww, c'mon Sango...I know I made a mistake and I am sorry..." Miroku pleaded even more but to no avail so he desperately gave up and turned his attention to the dishes in front of him.   
  
Sango finally glanced to see Miroku pouted as he rinsed the plates one by one and put them in the drying cabinet. 'He didn't try to grope me...I guess he is serious, he does sound apologetic...'she thought. So Sango decided to forgive him, but when she took a glance at Miroku again, she began to giggle softly, "Miroku looks...so kawaii when he pouts', she thought again. And the giggle grew louder and louder until it was audible to Miroku's ears and made him turned around with questioning look.  
  
"Sa..Sangoo?? what's up with you now?"  
  
But that question only made Sango giggled until she felt her stomach hurts.   
  
"You...you looked so...kawaii when you pouted!" She exclaimed as she pointed her right hand towards Miroku's face.   
  
Miroku grabbed her hand to draw her closer and gave her a quick kiss successfully. Sango still being in her state of surprise pouted at the thought of ever letting Miroku kiss her that easily. This time, Miroku grinned maniacally like he just won a Golden Globe Award.  
  
"And YOU look so KIREI when you pouted!" He exclaimed back.  
  
That sentence made Sango abruptly turned away and tried to make a face but failed to hide her blush. Miroku chuckled softly but also turned his attention back to the dishes, though his left still holding Sango's right hand. They remained still in their position, and without realizing it, both of them tightened the grip and blushed slightly. And their condition would have remained if...  
  
"Miroku! Bring the clean dishes here!!" The chef from the next kitchen shouted and made them quickly parted.  
  
"Co..coming!"  
  
  
***  
  
  
Yashao was having a bit trouble with his crab and Kagome was quietly chewing her Fillet. Suddenly Yashao stopped and looked around, causing Kagome to throw questioning looks.  
  
"Do ya smell it, Kagome? Like something's burning around 'ere..."  
  
"Masaka...the kitchen?"  
  
"No...I think it's coming from outside..." Yashao turned around to see the lake. He abruptly stood up when his eyes caught something. His action drew the attention from people around them so they also turned around curiously to look outside. Kagome saw it too; there were small flames and smokes around the mermaid monument...and a silhouette of a person in between.  
  
  
  
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Vocab List  
Aa -- yes  
Ano -- something like "Umm" or "I was wondering..."  
Demo -- but  
Kawaii -- cute  
Kirei -- beautiful  
Masaka -- something like "that can't be" or "impossible"  
Sukebe -- lecher  
Yappari-- just as I thought  
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So what do you think? Feel interested? Please give me feedbacks, good or bad, and wait for the next chapters!  
I know this fic may sound like Mentantei Conan or Kindaichi but hey, they're the inspirations! 


	3. H2SO4

Konnichiwa, Minna! I just got three positive reviews which make me feel more confident with this fic, well either way I'm going to continue this fic anyway. And soooo sorry I couldn't upadte this chapter faster! I was very busy with school work and yesterday I had a migraine so I was able to write this today! Anyway go on with the story, plz R&R, Minna!!  
  
~Subaru_S~  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and other characters are not mine! I wish they did though...*sob* SO please don't sue me...  
  
  
  
  
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The Murder At Mermaid Café  
by Subaru_S  
--------------------------------   
  
Scene #2: H2SO4  
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Mermaid café was crowded by a group of polices who immediately proceeded to the lake after they arrived. Some of them rented the boat to get into the centre of the lake where the incident happened. Now that the smokes had cleared, a body, which still couldn't be recognized as either female or male, was attached to the now-burnt mermaid monument by piano cords.   
  
Yashao by now was telling his brother about the situation when he found the corpse. Sesshou listened intentionally as he wrote down the main points on his small note book.  
  
"So ya see, brother, it was around one when I was eating my meal and then I smelled a burn from the lake. I dunno how long it's been burning but the flames died away around 4-5 minutes before you arrived here." Sesshou nodded and assured Yashao to walk together to the lakeside to take a look at the corpse as they spoke.  
  
"Hmm, I arrived here around one thirty, so I assumed it'd be about 25-30 minutes. So, anyone tried to go there using a boat to stop the flame?"  
  
"Frankly ev'rybody but my friends tended to stay as far away as possible from the scene. Besides I stayed there next to the boats so anyone who wanted to try to reach the center will have no choice but to pass me."  
  
"Good. Now, let's see the body."  
  
They wore their gloves and bended down to take a better look at the body, to at least know its gender. The body was badly burnt that it was barely recognizable even as a person. Well, of course we knew it was a person but it was totally burnt out and the face was totally...horrible. But from the shapes and the height, it was certainly a female. Yashao was about to inspect the burn when the people around them were beginning to crowd and make noise as if something else happened before one thing could be solved, no, inspected.   
  
Yashao thought it would die down slowly but instead it was just getting noisier and noisier and he couldn't concentrate so he turned around to shut them up. But when he was about to do so, Sesshou succeeded in shutting him up first. He turned to his one of his subordinates.   
  
"Kuromura, please tell the people to lower their voices because we need silence to be able to focus on this body." The young police named Kuromura nodded and went to approach the people. Not long after that, the people quieted down and talked in silence. Kuromura came back with a slight worry crossed his face and spoke to Sesshou.  
  
"Inspector Inukai, we'll be able to calm the people but apparently there's a frustrated person who presumably the cause of the noises. Would you like to talk to him, Sir? He might be related..."   
  
"Bring him here." Sesshou cut his words.   
  
  
***  
  
  
In the café, Kagome, Sango and Miroku were waiting for Yashao to come back after he finished talking with his brother. He had only gone out for no more than 10 minutes but strangely time seemed veerrryyyy loonngggg. Most probably because the girls were frozen in fearsome and pale face. Both of them were unconsciously holding each other hands tightly and...nervously. Miroku, who had been pacing around the café because he had nothing to do, hated the quietness in the café, so he broke the silence...  
  
"Hey..."  
  
"GWAAAAAAHHHHH~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
...much to the OVERREACTION of the girls which had almost made him jumped over the moon or just died standing like Musashi Miyamoto. The girls, however, started to form a pool of tears in their eye sockets and shivered slightly, no, a great deal actually.  
  
Miroku, who sooner recovered from his state of shock and heart attack, quickly smiled both apologetically and awkwardly.  
  
"Sorry, girls...I have no idea that ya'll be this...this shock?"  
  
After waiting for almost one minute, he thought he would get two tear-streaking faces or no answer. But finally Sango looked up, though yes, she still had tears in her eyes ready to spill, and said:  
  
"Th..that...that body...that dead burnt body~~!!!" Miroku thought she would scream again or started to cry but instead she let go of Kagome and tug his shirt as a sign she needed comfort. Miroku could feel the heat on his face and when he was about to hold Sango, a quick pacing sound rumbling all the way to the café and we could see Yashao panting heavily towards them. Kagome immediately ran to him and burnt her face on his shirt. Yashao patted her head as a sign of understanding. While still holding Sango, Miroku stepped closer to Yashao to interrogate him.  
  
"So...did ya find out who's the poor victim?"  
  
"We're still unsure but, yes...there's one possibility." He paused, "Ya see Miroku, when my bro an' I were checking that body, the people around us started to get bloody noisy an' then when we finally got the damned bastard who started it, he gave us the possibility."  
  
"Who's this guy and what did he do?"  
  
"His name is Kouga something...Ohgami Kouga, I guess. He said he's been looking for his girlfriend, Ohgina Kazura or Kagura or whatever who had been missing. She said she went to restroom but never came back. And since the body is a female..."  
  
"Wh..What? Fe..Female...?" Kagome said trembling while her right hand almost covered her mouth in disbelief.   
  
"Er...never mind that, Kagome." Yashao threw a pleading look to Miroku to do something so they could discuss this matter just the two of them. Miroku sighed.  
  
"Eeto...girls?" Kagome and Sango both looked up to Miroku.  
  
"Could you please get us some drink? My throat feels dry 'cause I've been waiting for this damned fellow in front of me to turn up." He said pointing at Yashao who in turn growled at him. The girls nodded and proceed to the kitchen to ask for some water. The guys let out a sigh of relief once the girls were out of sight.  
  
"Ya really didn't have to use me as the reason!" Yashao glared daggers at the smiling Miroku.  
  
"Hahahaha...it was just easier to say if it's you." He paused for a moment and his face turned serious, "So...back to the main discussion."  
  
"Well, yeah, from the shape and height, we can identify that the body is most likely female. And when came that wolf guy, I myself think it is that Kazura or whatever girl."  
  
"...What caused her to die?"  
  
"Ya see, she was tied up to that peculiar mermaid monument with piano cords...just randomly y'know, and then she was burnt."  
  
"D'ya think she was put into sleep with chloroform or some sleeping drugs before she was burnt?"  
  
"Most likely...yeah, since we didn't hear any scream. But the cause of the burnt is still unclear..."  
  
"Whaddya mean?"  
  
"I used to think that people will burn someone with petrol and then light a match and throw it there...but for this case...I didn't smell any petrol."  
  
"Mmnn...maybe the.." Miroku didn't finish his sentence because by that time the girls were heading towards them. "Hey, thanks girls! Wow, you even got us a coke!"  
  
"Well, the chef gave those to lighten you up, he thought you seem kinda depressed..." Both Miroku and Yashao blinked and glanced at each other...to think that the purpose of sending the girls to the kitchen were for them to perk up a bit and calm down and not for Miroku and Yashao themselves. But seeing the girls had calmed down, they didn't argue. They pushed a smile and began to concentrate on the coke.  
  
  
***  
  
  
"So...girls, how 'bout a ride home? Since ya didn't have anything to do here."  
  
The girls who were eager to go home immediately nodded and followed their boyfriends to the parking lot. It seemed that most people wanted to get away from here too. Seeing this, Miroku immediately whispered to Yashao.  
  
"Hey, Yasha, is it okay to let the people go? The murderer might be between them..."  
  
"Don't worry we've already held the suspects. We'd talk about it after we've dropped them at Kagome's house. 'kay?"  
  
Miroku nodded and took out his car key. They would drop the girls at Higurashi shrine with his car and left Inuyasha's motorbike here because they planned to come back again. When they spotted Miroku's beloved red VW, which he bought after 3 years of part-time jobs and saving, they immediately got in to the car and rode home.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
After waving a quick goodbye, Yashao and Miroku heaved a sigh of relief.  
  
"Huh...finally, we can talk freely. So what did you want to say before?"  
  
"Mm? What would I be saying before?" Miroku posed an I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about face.  
  
"Don't ya act like an innocent monk, Miroku! Something you were 'bout to say when I talked 'bout petrol."  
  
"Ah!" Miroku blinked, "That! Well, I was thinking about the possible cause of burn...d'ya remember our chemistry practical lesson a week before the last final exam?"  
  
"Ng...no?"  
  
"Whatever." Miroku shook his head, "I'll tell ya, the last experiment we did was about acid and base."  
  
  
  
*~flashback~*  
  
  
Miroku, Yashao and his two other friends, who were in the same chemistry practical group, were checking the materials on the table as to whether they're acid or base by some indicators. Having finished his part, Miroku looked around the room and found his attention to the chemistry teacher, Kazaki-sensei, who was holding a peculiar beaker.  
  
"Oi, Miroku, where're ya lookin' at?" Yashao waved his right palm just a few inches before Miroku's face.  
  
"I was just thinking...what's that beaker Kazaki sensei is holding now?"  
  
Yashao turned his attention to the teacher then to the beaker.  
  
"I dunno...the beaker was labeled H2SO4...what's that, Miroku?"  
  
"H2SO4...Hydrogen Sulphate! Hye, that's an acid too, why don't we use it as experiment?"  
  
"Hey, don't ask me! I think these eight materials are more then enough to be tested and now you ask for that hydrogen something?!"  
  
However, Miroku was already heading to Kazaki sensei when Yashao was saying that. Felt as if being ignored, Yashao went after Miroku. But when he was about to tip him off, Miroku began speaking to the teacher.  
  
"Ano...Kazaki Sensei?"  
  
"Hai, Miroku. Any problem?"  
  
"No, uh well, actually I was wondering...eeto, why don't we use that as an experiment, too?" Miroku said as he was pointing at the beaker Kazaki sensei was holding.  
  
"Ah, this?" Kazaki sensei held up the beaker. Miroku nodded.  
  
"Well, you see here Miroku. Remember I told you there are two kinds of acid?" Miroku nodded again. "Nah, Hydrogen acid is one of strong acid. It has a tendency to be corrosive, see this." Kazaki sensei picked a dirty old rag and opened the beaker labeled H2SO4 and poured a few drops of it to the rag. Miroku and Yashao watched intentionally as the rag began to burn as soon as the drop touched it.  
  
"Wha...it can burn!"  
  
"And that's why we don't use it, because it's too dangerous. What you see is only a rag; can you imagine if it's a person?"  
  
  
*~End of Flashback~*  
  
  
  
  
A sudden realization hit Yashao.  
  
"Masaka...the body was burnt with that hydrogen something?!"  
  
"Hydrogen Sulphate. Yes, that's what I think though...but we have to see the corpse to make sure."  
  
Miroku swerved to the right and the sight of Mermaid café was clear. He parked his car to the now-only-police-cars-remained parking lot. They immediately headed towards the lakeside where Sesshou and a doctor were examining the body.   
  
At the sight of them, Sesshou nodded to let them come near.  
"Yashao, where have you been? You suddenly vanished and now popped up like a ghost." Sesshou glanced at his brother. At other circumstances, what Sesshou just said might be a joke, but considering Sesshou...it was more likely a mock.  
  
"I was just..."  
  
When Yashao was busy talking with his brother whose face never showed any emotions, Miroku was talking with the doctor. He kneeled beside him and whispered:  
  
"Ano...doctor? Is the..." The doctor listened carefully to Miroku and his face seemed both surprised and astonished.  
  
"Why, yes. It was what burnt her."  
  
"Yappari..." Miroku glanced at Yashao who glanced back at him. Their, no, Miroku's guess has been right; it was H2SO4 or Hydrogen Sulphate which burnt the girl.  
  
  
  
  
  
---------------------------------  
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Vocab List  
  
Ano -- something like "Umm" or "I was wondering..."  
Baka -- fool or moron  
Eeto -- something like "Ng..." or "Well..."  
Masaka -- something like "that can't be" or "impossible"  
Sensei -- teacher  
Yappari-- just as I thought  
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---------------------------------  
  
So what do you think? Feel interested? Please give me feedbacks, good or bad, and wait for the next chapters! I think I'll update this once a week so wait for it!  
I know this fic may sound like Mentantei Conan or Kindaichi but hey, they're the inspirations! 


	4. Suspects

Konnichiwa, Minna! I know I promised to update every week...and already a feew MONTHS passed without any updates and gomeeeennnasaiii for that! It was just,   
  
#1 I had been busy with schoolwork before I finally reached the semester holiday, and then I had a holiday, and went back to school again,   
  
#2 I didn't have any urge to get my lazy butt to sit in front of my computer and type the story, and   
  
#3 No one reviews! So I started to think that this fic is a total mess and that thought lessened my enthusiasm about continuing this fic. But rrreeallly! This is my first fic! I'm expecting feedback! Plz, plz, plz, plz read and review!!!!  
  
Oh well, anyway, maybe I asked too much. Thank you so much for those who has reviewed this screwed up fic of mine, and here is chapter 3! This chp is a bit boring, I think, I mean...too serious! Oops...isn't this my own fic I'm complaining... anyway, please read and review, people!   
  
~Subaru_S~  
  
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha and other characters are not mine! I wish they did though...*sob* SO please don't sue me...  
  
--------------------------------  
The Murder At Mermaid Café  
by Subaru_S  
--------------------------------   
  
Scene #3: Suspects  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"So where are the so-called suspects?" The dark haired boy with two earrings pierced on his left ear and one on his right suddenly got up from where he had been crouching down.   
  
Yashao glanced at his brother to seek for the answer. Sesshou pointed towards the café with his chin, motioning both Yashao and Miroku to go along with him. Their short saunter was done in silence, much to the dismay of Yashao who were really to spill out anything he knew to Miroku who were pondering beside him. And so he began.  
  
"So...ya already know the suspects?"  
  
Miroku looked up and answered sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, right. Like I've been here before."  
  
Yashao, however being in his usual insensitive self, continued like he hadn't heard a thing of what Miroku just said.  
  
"There are many suspects actually and most of them are, uh, y'know, famous? Actors, actress, singers...anything like that."  
  
Miroku could only mutter a 'wow' under his breath though it was pretty obvious that he gaped in awe.  
  
"Seems like they had a party or something at the café and suddenly this tragedy happened. And, oh!" Yashao slammed his right fist to his left palm, as if he suddenly remembered something, and jerked his head to face his friend. "Forgot to tell ya. The victim-that Ohgina Kazura or Kagura or whatever, was a singer. Though I never heard of her name before, have you?"  
  
"Nope. Not so famous, eh?"  
  
"Maybe, and that wolf guy Kouga-was it?-is a soccer player of Japan National team. And everybody knows he was and is an asshole who always wanted to be in the center of attention in the field." Yashao narrowed his eyes expressing a total disgust of Kouga especially during his encounter with him before Yashao came back to see his friends and drive the girls to Higurashi Shrine.  
  
  
  
  
~*Flashback*~  
  
Ohgami Kouga, a young man with long raven hair held tight in a ponytail with strangely pale blue eyes, was lead by Kuromura, Sesshou's subordinate, to speak to the inspector himself and his brother. At the sight of a seemingly-higher-positioned police, considering from his cloth and all the respect he got, Kouga immediately blurted out his complain to Sesshou.  
  
"I demand a search fer my girl. She's been missi-"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, hold it right there, fellow! We haven't even heard ye-"  
  
"You shut up yerself, Dumbass! So she has a wavy black hair-"  
  
"Dammit, I was talking to you, ba-ka! At least tell us ye-"  
  
"And I wasn't talking to you, ba-ka! And she has a pair of red eyes-"  
  
"Cut yer fucking speech, ba-ka! I'm talking to yo-"  
  
"Who cares, asshole!"  
  
"Wha- you bastard!"  
  
"Cut it off you too." Said Sesshou in his all-too-famous-stern-and-emotionless voice as he shoved Yashao and Kouga away from each other. By that time the two had been glaring daggers at each--more likely ready to squeeze each other's neck and break it.   
  
~*End of Flashback*~  
  
  
  
  
"What's up with your face, Yasha?" Miroku commented as they slowly climbed the stairs to the entrance of Mermaid café. Upon hearing those words, Yashao snapped back from his brief memory to face his best friend. Realizing his utterly-lost face, Yashao waved his right hand back and forth to indicate that it was nothing.  
  
Miroku seemingly bought that and changed the conversation back to the suspects.  
  
"So...you told me there are many suspects, ya?"  
  
"Aa, various too, but more girls I guess."  
  
"You suspect girls?" Miroku asked unbelievingly.   
  
"In the eyes of justice, every body's the same."  
  
"Yeah yeah."  
  
  
Sesshou motioned them to stop their conversation as the crowded tables soon came to their view. There were six people separated in two tables. Only a few wore an anxious face, and most of them were emotionless.  
  
Those six people had not noticed the arrival of the three, so Sesshou used this opportunity to discuss a few matters with Yashao and Miroku first.   
  
"As you can see," he began. "There are six people we consider as suspects-with even number of both genders."  
  
"And you told me there are more girls." Miroku muttered and nudged his elbow to his best friend who in response let out an 'itee-". Before Yashao, who were still rubbing his chest, had a chance to protest, Sesshou continued.  
  
"The one sitting on table one closest to us is Kumohara Naraku. He's an artist who specialized in sculpture. Further investigation of him told us he was a pretty smart outlaw since we have many unsolved criminal records involving him." Sesshou told them about a man with wavy long black hair and mischievous eyes.   
  
"What's more, I heard that a case about illegal painting selling transactions and he was obviously the culprit. But there was no real proof so cops couldn't catch his tail." Yashao interrupted.  
  
"Ah, I think I've ever read that in Japan Daily, a few months ago though." Miroku commented but turned to Sesshou's direction for more information.  
  
"Will you stop interrupting, Yasha." Sesshou stated rather than asked, stoically and his famous stare. With that Inuyasha shut his mouth and focused his gaze more to the view outside, though only a parking lot.  
  
"Next to him is Kiyomura Kikyou, a rather famous actress. So far she has a clean record, though she's often involved in a scandal." Sesshou added, "Yasha's a rather fanatic fan of her." Yashao winced at that comment but kept silence. 'Why now everybody knows that?' was his only thought before glancing to the actress, who seemed to find that gazing at her tea was much more interesting than drinking it.  
  
"And the little girl beside her is Maboroshi Kanna. She has a mysterious past and the fact that she's now working as Naraku's secretary is all we can get of her." Miroku nodded after averting his gaze away from the girl. 'Everything about her is white' was his only impression of Kanna, 'Minus her eyes, though.'  
  
After that, their gaze fell on the table next to the previous one, where again three people were sitting there. They are Inazuma Hiten, Akutoshi Tsubaki and Ohgami Kouga, who noticed our presences and were having a glaring contest with Yashao.  
  
"Inazuma Hiten, an actor of action movies. He was quite famous then but ever since he had affairs with many actresses which led to a scandal, he hasn't been filming until now." Miroku and Yashao nodded.  
  
"Akutoshi Tsubaki, a newcomer in singing and movie world. She was model before." Sesshou stopped to think, "If I can add, I think she's quite ambitious. She likes popularity and holds a grunge to whoever surpasses her, in this case Kikyou." Yashao glanced at the raven haired girl, and thought 'Heh, wicked face'.  
  
"Last, Ohgami Kouga, a member of Japan National Soccer team. He has quite a talent, I guess, but was suspected of using dope." Yashao made a face at this. "His girlfriend, Ohgina Kagura was a singer." Miroku raised his hand and said,  
  
"Sorry to interrupt. I heard that she's the victim?"  
  
"...When we checked the list of the restaurant staffs and people who were eating there, we found two persons missing. One of them is Kagura, the other is a waitress here. Her name is Nishiyama Suzuko. We considered the body as Ohgina Kagura in relation to these six people here-whom we considered as the possible suspects. But we are still not sure-the body is burnt to death."   
  
"Yeah, the murderer is clever. I think he or she has planned this all along to leave no trace of the victim." Suddenly an idea came to Miroku's mind, "But what for?"   
  
"That, also we don't know. All we know now is that one of these six people is the cold blooded killer."  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
"You know what, Miroku. I think there's something weird going on here, just like what you've said." Yashao and Miroku were walking along the Mermaid Lake to get a fresh air while Sesshou was interrogating the six suspects.  
  
"You mean, about the burning thing?"  
  
"Not just that, everything. First, we got an unknown body whom we later found out she was either Kagura or Suzuko. But we dropped the latter because the so-called suspects have a relation with Kagura-particularly that *Kouga*. The body was burnt for unknown reason, well, we can say so that people cannot identify the victim but as you've said, what for? Then, the suspects!"  
  
"What about them?"   
  
"They're not just suspects-they might be a bunch of killers who had probably ever stabbed their friend and thrown the body to the river. They...some of them got unknown records and the others are like in the police's black list, and *that* is what I think...odd."  
  
"Odd? Whadya mean?"  
  
"Think, do you often find, just accidentally catch five possible outlaws out there eating and drinki-"  
  
"Six, you mean."  
  
"Ya, whatever. Eating and drinking in a café like-"  
  
"Is it just me, or are you excluding your favorite actress?"  
  
"Eh, wha..what, whadya mean?!"  
  
"I see now, Yasha. You, after all are a guy." Miroku mimicked a mocking face, "Some guy might think that-"  
  
"Stop it right there, you bastard! I get your point." A vein popped in Yasha's forehead.  
  
"And your objection is?"  
  
"I've been your friend for much too long. Anyway, about the suspe-"  
  
"Oh? I see. It's like an aftereffect and might it mean that you're seeing another girl now?"  
  
"Mi.ro.ku, you've moving away from the former subject..." Another vein popped in.  
  
"Hmm...Kagome might like this news..." Yashao lost his temper and clenched his right fist preparing to punch.   
  
"MIROKU!!!"   
  
"Calm down, calm down, I said Kagome MIGHT like..."  
  
"Let's drop this subject and get back to the one before."  
  
"Okay, no prob. So you're saying that all these suspects are too suspicious?"  
  
"They all got the faces and characteristics."  
  
"But do you know that the cleverest murderer might have the face of an innocent child?"  
  
"...Miroku...reality check? You've read too many detective books."  
  
"Ah, ya, particularly Elary King and Agatha Christie-the king and queen of crime!" Miroku suddenly noticed Yashao's face and thought 'he's fun to tease sometimes' and smiled.  
  
"Okay, so these guys are suspicious, what else?"  
  
"That Nishiyama Suzuko."  
  
"The missing waitress?"  
  
"Ya...she seemed insignificant in this case but I want to know every possibility."  
  
"You're not saying she's the murderer?"  
  
"Dunno...no, not yet."   
  
  
None of them spoke for a minute then suddenly Miroku said:  
  
"It's getting quite chill here, let's get back to the café, Sesshou has probably finished his interrogation."  
  
Both of them walked back quietly to the café, not knowing a person has been watching them from afar while straightening his rope.  
  
  
  
And the second murder happened.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
---------------------------------  
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Vocab List  
  
Aa -- yeah  
Baka -- fool or moron  
Itai -- "Aww" or "Ouch" (Inuyasha pronounces it as 'itee-')  
  
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---------------------------------  
  
Ung, in case I forgot to tell you or maybe some of you have already known, Yashao or Inuyasha called Kouga as "wolf guy" simply because his name is 'Ohgami Kouga' and 'Ohgami' means 'wolf'!  
  
I guess you already know what the next chap is about, so plz continue to read and review. I promise to write the next chp ASAP! 


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